Novel tool and method for curling hair



y 1941- A. SCJHWAB 2,243,397

NOVEL TOOL AND METHOD FOR CURLING HAIR Filed Oct. 3, 1940 INVENTOR mzerazz'we.

ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NOVEL TOOL AND METHOD FOR CURLING HAIR Albert Schwab, Bloomfield, N. J

Application October 3, 1940, Serial No. 359,499

Claims.

This invention relates to a noveltool as well as to a novel method for curling hair. In one of its specific aspects the invention is directed to a novel tool which may be readily employed with facility even by an unexperienced operator to curl hair and when the novel method as herein set forth is followed the hair curling is a simple and easy task. These and other advantageous characteristics of the invention may be ascertained from the following description and drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 represents a womans head and discloses the position of the novel device in carrying out the novel process set forth. I

Figure 2 represents a diagrammatic sketch of the hair as it is set spirally.

Figure 3 represents a side view of the novel hair curling tool and illustrates the manner of carrying out some of the initial steps of the im proved process.

Figure 4 is a front view looking at the novel tool shown in Figure 3 while facing the reduced end of said tool,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the forward part of the novel tool shown in Figure 4 and is taken on line VV of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side view of the novel tool shown in Figure 3 and illustrates another step in the novel process.

Figure '7 is a cross sectional view of the spirally wound hair as it appears when the hair has been removed from the tool.

Figure 8 is a front view showing a retainer maintaining the convolutions of hair in the positions shown in Figure 7.

As shown in Figure 3, the novel hair curling tool may comprise a body l0 which may be either solid or hollow. The tool body l0 may comprise a cylindrical portion II which serves as a handle and may be of any desired diameter and preferably of a diameter of approximately to 1". Although the handle I I is preferably cylindrical, it need not be of that form but may be any desired shape. The cylinder ll may be of any desired length, but it is preferably about 2 /2" to 3" long so that it may rest easily in the palm of the hand and may be easily manipulated. Integral with the body II and gradually tapering therefrom is a conical body [2 whose greatest diameter is approximately that of the handle or cylindrical portion II and whose least diameter is approximately g". The altitude or length of the body 12 is preferably about 2 to 3 inches.

The body l2, as shown, is preferably gradually and uniformly tapered over its 2 to 3" length from itsextreme end measuring about in diameter to its largest portion measuring about to 1" in diameter. In accordance with the invention, the conical portion l2 has a plurality of narrow adjacent platforms l3 of gradually increasing diameter from the extremity of smallest diameter to the extremity of largest diameter of the conical portion l2. These platforms [3 may be concentric but I prefer that they be parts of a conical spiral, as shown in the drawing,

The width and depth of the platforms is a matter of choice, but I prefer that the depth of the platforms be materially less than the widthwise dimension thereof so that there is provided platforms on which all of a particular turn of hair may rest between its widthwise boundaries, but the shoulders I 4' between the consecutive platforms will be shallow so that the consecutive turns of hair may be readily removed.

' The body ll) has a narrow elongated slot I5 therein preferably extending from the outer extremity thereof of smallest diameter to a point about two-thirds or three-quarters of the distance from said extremity of smallest diameter to the other end of body I0. A spring I5 is located in said slot l5 at the rear thereof. A clip or retainer I1 consists of a finger actuable portion I8 integral with a clamp finger l9 and is mounted on pivot 20. The base of the slot 15 and particularly that portion thereof at the small end of conical portion I2 is preferably flat, and the bottom face 2| of the forward end of the clip I! is also fiat. These two portions need not necessarily be fiat but I prefer that they be complementary to one another. The contour of the clamp finger [9 of the retainer I1 is preferably slightly rounded at its upper face in transverse cross section. Longitudinally the contour of clip I! is such that the upper or outer surface thereof is in the conical plane of the conical portion l2. It is also preferable that the entire clip or retainer I! does not extend materially outwardly beyond the body l0.

In operation, the spring l6 normally presses against the portion [8 of retainer I! to force the finger l9 thereof downwardly to press the bottom face 2| thereof firmly against the base of slot l5 at its forward end. In order to provide a curl, the hair may be Wetted with any desired hair dressing medium, if desired, then the free ends of a number of strands of hair are placed between the forward end of clip I! and the slot l5 after the finger actuating portion I8 is pressed tion I8 is released and spring [6 will force the clamp finger l9 down on to the ends of the strands of hair to hold those ends in place at the forward part of conical portion 12. The operator then rotates the tool about its longitudinal axis and if necessary guides the hair on the platforms l3, so that but one turn of hair is on each platform. Referring to the drawing it will be clear that by this method the hair will be located on the portion l2 as a conical spiral. After the desired number of turns of hair have been placed on the conical portion thereof, rotation of the tool is terminated and the hair is stripped off of the tool in the manner shown in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 6 this stripping step is carried out by pulling the turn of largest diameter over the next turn of smaller diameter, then these two turns over the turn of still smaller diameter, then these three turns over the turn of still smaller diameter and so forth until all of theturns which may or may not include the turn of smallest diameter are stripped off of the tool whereupon the hair is now in a substantially flat spiral as shown in Figures 2, '7 and 8 and this flat spiral is then inserted between the flat faces of a bobby pin or similar clip 22.

The finger i9 is released either before or after the hair in flat spiral formation is inserted between the retaining faces of the clip 22. The flat spiral whose convolutions are maintainedin place by the clip 22 is pinned in place and allowed to dry and set after which the pin 22 is removed and the spiral is combed.

While the invention has been described as applied to the tool Ill as herein set forth,which tool may be composed of wood, metal or any suitable plastic, such as Lucite, Celluloid or the like, and while the platforms of this tool are always in fixed relation to each other, it is broadly within the purview of this invention to provide a series of platforms which may be telescoped with respect to each other to strip the conically spirally wound hair as shown in Figure 5 and attain the hair in fiat spiral formation as shown in Figures 2, '7 and 8. Although the invention has been described with particularity, it is not to be limited thereby, because various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed:

1. The method of curling hair comprising wetting a plurality of strands of hair, Winding said wetted strands in the shape of a conical spiral, moving the turns of said conical spiral with respect to each other to form an approximately flat spiral, maintaining said strands in said flat spiral formation.

2. The method of curling hair comprising winding a plurality of strands of hair in the shape of a conical spiral, changing said conical spiral to a flat spiral and maintaining said flat spiral until the hair sets.

3. A tool for curling hair, comprising a handle member and a conical member, retaining means carried by one of said members, the outer surface of said conical member; comprising a plurality of curvilinear platforms, said platforms being of different diameters and in essentially stepped relationship.

4. A tool for curling hair comprising a handle member, a conical member and a retainer, said conical member having a number of platforms being parts of a conicalspiral, said platforms being in essentially stepped relationship.

5. A tool for curling hair comprising a handle member, a conical member and a retainer, said conical member havinga number of platforms being parts of a conical spiral, said handle and conical member having a longitudinal groove therethrough, a portion of said retainer located in said groove.

ALBERT SCHWAB. 

